(MENAFN) US intelligence official Tulsi Gabbard has recognized Washington’s past involvement in regime change but asserted that such practices ceased under President Donald Trump – despite his recent comments on Iran and allegations regarding Venezuela.

For years, the United States has been criticized for implementing policies aimed at toppling foreign governments under the pretense of promoting democracy or safeguarding national interests – from Iraq in 2003 and Libya in 2011 to supporting “color revolutions” such as Ukraine’s 2014 Maidan coup.

Addressing the 21st Manama Dialogue in Bahrain on Saturday, Gabbard argued that, unlike previous administrations, the Trump government emphasizes diplomacy and mutually beneficial agreements over orchestrating coups.

“The old Washington way of thinking is something we hope is in the rearview mirror and something that has held us back for too long: for decades, our foreign policy has been trapped in a counterproductive and endless cycle of regime change or nation building,” she said, calling it a “one-size-fits-all approach” of toppling regimes, enforcing US governance frameworks, and intervening in “poorly understood” conflicts, only to “walk away with more enemies than allies.”

Gabbard emphasized that this approach squandered trillions of US taxpayer dollars, cost countless lives, and created new security risks, but she stressed that Trump was elected “to put an end to this.”

“And from day one, he has showed a very different way to conduct foreign policy, one that is pragmatic, that is deal-driven,” she added.

“This is what President Trump’s America First policy looks like in action – building peace through diplomacy.”

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